“Coach Sayles takes a scientific yet practical approach to our sport; and is able to translate that to his runners and allow them to understand and believe in the process. His athletes follow his every word having vested their trust in him, knowing that he truly cares about each and every one of them.

In my opinion Coach Sayles is the epitome of what a high school coach should be: a knowledgeable and experienced teacher, possessing a passion and love for their sport, competitive but humble, a great communicator, a force of positivity, and a rock in the often-tumultuous life of a young person.

I have the utmost respect for him as a professional and it has been privilege to be his colleague and rival, and an honor to be his friend.”

“I have had the privilege of knowing Ken Sayles since I first started coaching at San Juan Hills High School in 2011.  Ken was one of the coaches I approached for advice since I was new to our League and Conference.  We met over coffee and he openly shared at that time that he was still figuring out how to successfully work with the girls.  OBVIOUSLY, he figured it out since shortly thereafter, his girls teams seemed to be winning everything.  Now, years later, I learn that that was about the time he started to diligently utilize the Jack Daniels’ Running Formula with his teams. His book about that journey is an easy-to-read, step-by-step pathway to success and puts into practical terms the Jack Daniels Program–showing any coach just how to achieve the best results with distance runners.  I intend to use Ken’s book with my own teams.  I like the shorter chapters that clearly spell out what to do at each step along the way.  Ken Sayles Book is the Jack Daniels’ Running Formula in action!”

“Ken Sayles is a great coach. We have known each other for more than 30 years and during that time we always collaborated in the summer months to exchange training plans, ideas and to talk about our teams and the upcoming season. He was always willing to exchange his thoughts and materials with me. I was always concerned when we had to race against Capo Valley because I knew they would be ready and well prepared to meet any challenge my team would put up against his teams. His season-long training plans were detailed and well thought-out. His vision was clear and to the point and he was able to consistently peak his teams when it counted the most at the California State meet.”

“I was Ken Sayles’ first high school record holder his first year as an assistant coach for the Capistrano Valley High School Girls Cross Country Team.  I was immediately impressed with his knowledge of the science of running and his interest in customizing it to each individual runner to maximize their abilities.  In the years following my high school career when he became head coach, he had expanded his knowledge tremendously and created a very successful program with several champions. He has also earned high accolades rewarding him not only for his success, but also his personal character as a coach.

For the 2019 season I had the honor to start as the new girls head cross country coach. I am continuing the legacy of the quality program he has built for over 30 years. Ken has mentored me not only as an athlete over the years, but now as a head coach learning the attributes of how to continue to train athletes to their full potential. I am fascinated with his training philosophies and attention to detail that will continue in our cross country and distance track programs for many years to come.”

“Coach, Run, Win is an excellent guide to all aspects of coaching cross country.  As one of Coach Sayles’ former athletes, I can personally vouch for the wisdom of this approach to coaching.  Specifically, Coach Sayles’ data-driven approach to workouts facilitates athletes achieving their full potential.  His administrative structure to running programs places an emphasis on sportsmanship and team building that are equally important to achieving individual and team success.”